What is the origin of the term 'Toffee-Nosed'?

mibmob

Surely it is to do with the fact that people who think that they are high and mighty stick their noses in the air and thus you can see all their dried etc mucus? Mar 17 05, 10:05 AM

Flynn_17

Eew. And ick. Eewick? Mar 17 05, 2:26 PM

SOTHC

I thought that it is some one who acts like a toff which is a slang term for an upper-class and usually smartly dressed person. Mar 17 05, 3:49 PM

satguru

I've just checked and confirmed it is derived from toff, rather than vice versa. I can only agree the nosed bit is probably from the noses in the air. The only theory the dictionary has on the origin of toff is from tuft, though I can't think why. (no links, I have a paper library here to help me!). Mar 17 05, 4:03 PM

elizabethmc

This is from my Puffin Idioms book that I knew I would find a use for one day, supports what you're saying... "A toffe-nosed person (mildy derogatory)- an upper-class person. A 'toffee-nose' is one that points upwards in a snobbish, disdainful manner." Mar 17 05, 4:34 PM

kaylofgorons

If their nose is up you can see "tufts" of unsightly nose hair. Mar 17 05, 4:40 PM

Baloo55th

The tuft comes from a titled student at Oxford University, who would wear a gold tassel on his cap and was nicknamed tuft. Tuft gave toff, and that gave toffy. No connection with the sticky stuff, which comes from taffy originally. Mar 17 05, 5:30 PM

satguru

Well done Baloo, you've completed the circle- my two books said it was toff, from tuft, that led to toffy as an adjective, then extended to a toffy nose. This then got changed to toffee, as with folk etymology which changes unfamiliar words to familiar ones. I think between us we scored 100% :) Mar 17 05, 6:26 PM

Speedydog

Toffee nosed refers from the Georgian Dandy period. High collars made gentlemen hold their noses aloft, one of the reasons being to stop snuff from falling on their white cravats and collars, the brown snuff being the toffee on the underside of the nose, holding the nose aloft stopped the snuff from marking the collar Jun 12 12, 9:18 AM